Universal weigher and bagger



Oct. 21, 1952 R. s. GRANT UNIVERSAL WEIGHER AND BAGGER "3 Shaetp-Sheet 1Filed Aug. 19; 1947 ATTOFME )4 R. S- GRANT UNIVERSAL WEIGHER AND BAGGEROct. 21, 1952 3 Sheets Sheeo 2 Filed Aug. 19, 1947 Jim. 3

ATTURA EK' Oct. 21, 1952 R. 5. GRANT UNIVERSAL WEIGHER AND BAGGER FiledAug. 19, 1947 Patented Oct. 21, 1952 UNIVERSAL \VEIGHER AND BAGGERRobert S. Grant, Lakeland, Fla, assignor to Food Machinery and ChemicalCorporation, a corporation of Delaware Application. August 19, 19 387,Serial No. 76%,370

Claims.

This invention relates to equipment for facilitating the filling of bagswith weighed quantities of loose material and is particularly useful inbagging loose fruits and vegetables such as apples, plums, pears, citrusfruits, potatoes, onions, etc.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved weigher andbagger of large capacity and by which loose products may be economicallybagged in bags of various sizes and materials and in the operation ofwhich the quantity of product to be delivered to each bag may be adjustably predetermined.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a weigher andbagger having a novel means for preventing the delivery of product tothe scale hopper after the latter has received the weighed load of saidproduct for which it has been set and until said load has been deliveredto a bag and the scale hopper is empty and closed, ready for receivinganother such load.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a novel non-bridgingchute for transferring product discharged from the scale hopper into thebag.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects as well as furtherobjects and advantages,

will be made manifest in the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of a weigher and baggerunit of this invention with the scales hopper closed in readiness forreceiving a load of product.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 .of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4; is a fragmentary perspective view of a feed control device ofthe invention.

Fig. 5 is a miniature plan view of the entire weigher and bagger of theinvention.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of Fig. 1 taken in the direction ofthe arrow 6 and illustrating the delivery of a load of loose product tothe scale hopper of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6' illustrating the manner in which thedischarge gate of the scale hopper is manually operated to deliver aload from said hopper into a bag.

Fig. 8 is a wiring diagram of the electrical circuit of one of thesolenoids of the invention.

Referring specifically to the drawings and particularly to the plan viewof Fig. 5, the invention is shown as embodied in a weigher and baggerIll including a feeder I I about which are grouped a series of fourweighing and bagging units I2.

The feeder I 1 receives loose product from an elevator l3 and in turn,delivers this to the units I2.

The elevator I3 is preferably electrically driven and this elevator iscontrolled by a mercury switch l4, mounted on an annular wall I5 whichsurrounds a conical rotary deck IQ of the feeder I I.

The switch It has a switch arm H on which a product contact member I8 issecured so as to be vertically adjustable on the arm H to present themember I8 to the product at a predetermined level above the deck I 6.

The elevator I3 may thus be set to feed loose product onto the deck I6at a speed in excess of that necessary to keep a supply of product onthe deck I6 for use by the weigher and bagger ID.

The switch It is preferably connected with the electrical circuit of theelevator I3 to shut off the latter when product has accumulated on thedeck Hi to a certain height where it engages and lifts the switch memberl8.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it is noted that the weigher andbagger I0 is supported on a frame 25 on which the annular wall [5 isrigidly fixed and which also supports the means (not shown) for mountingand rotating the deck it about a vertical axis.

Opposite each of the units [2, the annular wall I5 is provided with afeed port 26 through which loose product is fed to said unit by thefeeder I I. Opposite sides of the port are vertical and are providedwith guide channels 21, the purpose of which will be made clearhereinafter.

Mounted on the wall I5 to one side of each of the ports 26 (in thedirection from which loose product travels toward said port on the deckl6) and horizontally slidable on said wall so that it may be slid intocovering relation with said port or away from such covering relation atwill, is a port cover plate 29. I

On the opposite side of each port 26 is fixed baflle 35 which extendsinwardly a short distance over the deck I6 and then is bent outward intocontact with the wall I5 as shown in Fig, 1. The purpose of the baffle35 is to interrupt the travel of loose product circumferentially on thedeck l6 and divert this through the port 26 to the adja cent weighingand bagging unit I2.

The units I2 are identical and a description of the one shown in Figs.1, 2, 3, 6 and 7 will suffice for all.

This unit is mounted on the frame '25 and particularly on a pair ofhorizontal angle irons 36 and 3'! thereof. Secured to the angle irons 36and 31 are vertical angle irons 38 and 39 on which are welded cantileverarms as and 1H. Welded to the arms 40 and 4i is a horizontal L-shapedsheet of metal 45 which has bent-up edge flanges 46 and 41 and bent-downedge flanges 48 and 49 to form a rigid table 50 for holding paper bags,scale weights and other accessories to the operation of the unit I2.

Welded at its upper end to the flange 48, and extending steeplydownwardly and outwardly in symmetrical relation with the radial axis ofthe feed port 26, is a bag support base this base is braced by a lightchannel member 52 which connects the base 5! with the frame channel iron31. Mounted on the base 5I and adjustable vertically thereon, is a bagsupport rest 53'.

Welded on the channel iron 36 (see Fig. 3) is a horizontal plate 60having a downwardly extending post 6I. Supported on the plate St is asolenoid 62, the armature 63 of which extends downwardly through asuitable aperture in the plate 60 and is connected by a link 64 to alever 65which pivotally fulcrums on the post 6|.

The lever 65 has a rubber cushion 66 which is adapted to come to'rest ona similar cushion 61 provided on a bracket 68 which is welded to thevertical angle iron 39. The free or working end of the lever 65 isconnected through links 69 to the lower end of a bar IO, the latterextending downwardly from a fruit feeding door II which is slideablydisposed in the guide channels 21.

When the solenoid 62 is de-energized, as shown in Fig. 3, the upper edgeof the door I I lies just belowthe adjacent outer edge of the conicalrotary feeder deck I6. When the solenoid 62' is energized, however asshown in Fig. '7, the door II is lifted to close the port 26. With thede energizing of the solenoid 62, the door II drops by gravity to itslowermost position thereby reopening the feed port 26.

The angle iron 36 is provided with a reinforcement which is weldedthereto to form a base for rigidly securing to this angle iron, ahorizontally extending bracket I6 having an arm I! rising therefromandbent forwardly to pivotally support a roller I8 in a fixed position.

Ad-justably supported on the table 50, on a leg I9, and a clip 80 is atransfer chute SI having a steeply inclined bottom 8-2 which, at theupper receiving end of the chute, includes a curved portion 83 ofconsiderably reduced slope.

The chute 81- has converging side walls 84 and 85, the wall 84 having aninner side wall 86 pivoted thereto and held in adjustable positionrelative to the wall 85 to adapt the chute BI to fit into bags ofvarious sizes, by a screw 68 onthe wall portion 86, extending downwardlythrough a slot 81 in the chute bottom 82 and provided with a wing-nut 89therebeneath. v

The side wall 85- and the stationary portion of the side wall 84 areconnected together by a cross-member 90. I

Interposed between thefeeder I I and the chute 8| is a weigher 95. Thisincludes a standard scales 96 having a base 9-1 which rests upon andTheis secured tothe cantilever arms 48 and M scales provides a weighingplatform 98, a counter balance platform 69, a visual indicator housingI00, and an electric switch I-flI which is actuated whena predeterminedweight is supported on the platform 98.

Mounted on the scales platform 98 is a weighing hopper I05 including aninclined bottom I06, a short back wall I87, side walls I08, and a frontwall I09, the latter having a discharge opening adjacent the lower endof the floor I06 which is controlled by a gate IIO pivoted on the wallI09.

This gate has an arm III which connects pivotedly with an extensiblelink II2 which, in turn, is pivoted to a cam lever II3 by a handle H4.The lever H3 is pivoted at II5 on the adjacent side wall I06 of thehopper I05 and has a cam H6 on its free end.

The link II2 contains a spring which expands this link when the handle II4 is swung upwardly to close the gate to bring the lever II3 against astop I20 without completely expanding the link H2. The spring in thelink II2 thus holds the gate Ilfl in closed position when the handle isreleased by the operator.

The gate H0 is adapted to be opened by the operator seizing anddepressing the handle I I4 to the position in which it is shown in Fig.'7. When this is done, the cam H6 engages the roller I8 which, as beforementioned, is supported on the arm I'I' in a rigidly fixed position.This contact shifts the hopper I05 downwardly into its lowermostposition or holds it in this position if it is already there.

The hopper IE5 is steadied in its vertical movement during the operationof the scales 98 by a pair of arms I2I which are pivoted to the sides ofthe hopper, the opposite ends of these arms pivoting onstuds I22 fixedon the angle iron 36.

Fixed at its opposite ends by screws I23 to side walls I58 of the hopperI05 so as to be adjustable up and down thereon, is a shelf I24 whichover lies the short wall IOI of the hopper I05, ex-' tends close to thefeed door II and lies just below the upper edge of the latter when thisis in its lowered position as shown in Fig. 3. The shelf I24 ispreferably angled so as to be substantially parallel with the slope ofthe feeder deck- I6.

Operation As already noted, the weigher and bagger I0 may be employed toweight and bag any of a wide variety of loose products. To illustrateits operation on one of these, however, it has been shown in Figs. 6 and7 in the process of weigh ing and bagging loose potatoes.

Before starting to operate the machine, the contact member I8 isadjusted on the switch arm- I! so as to be missed by potatoes carried onthe deck I6 when these are only one layer deep. It is set at a levelclose above a single layerof potatoes, however, so that whenever enoughpotatoes are fed to the feeder I I as to form a double layer ofpotatoes, the upper of these layers will contact the member I8 to shutoff the elevator I3. I

As the potatoes on the deck I6 are fed to' the various weighing andbagging units I2, the potatoes remaining on the deck I6 will soon formonly a single layer whereupon the member' I8-will drop downward andactuate the switch I4 to start the elevator I3 again. Thus it is onlynecessary to feed the potatoes to the elevator I3 at sucha rate" thatwhen the latter is running, potatoes will be delivered onto the feeder II slightly in excess of the rate at which they are delivered from thefeeder to the units I2 in order to keep the feeder well supplied withpotatoes.

The switch I 4, of course, assures that the feeder will neverbeover-loaded;

In operating the apparatus I0, an attendant is needed for each of theweighing and bagging units I2 (these usually beingwomen) and airotherattendant a man) is required for feeding potatoes to the elevator I 3.

The latter may be connected in line with suitable apparatus forgradingand sizing product so that only a certain grade and size of theproduct is delivered on the elevator I3 to the feeder II. The variousunits I2 may be set for filling various bags of different sizes withdiffering quantitles of product or all may be set to fill the same sizebags with the same amount of product.

The scales 96 of each unit is tared so as to be in balance at zero whenthe hopper I05 is empty with the gate IIO thereof closed.

Before starting, the counter-weight platform 89 of each unit must haveplaced thereon countor-weights corresponding to the weight of load whichis desired to be delivered from that unit to a bag with each cycle ofoperation.

The chute 8|, as illustrated in the drawings, is especially adapted foruse in delivering loose product to paper bags. It is to be understoodthat various bag holders suitable for supporting net bags may beassociated with this chute for the filling of this type of container.

One of the purposes of the table 50 of each unit is the holding of asupply of folded paper bags (which is usually placed on the right-handside thereof).

The pivoted side chute wall 86 is, of course, adjusted and the screw 88set to hold it in place so that the particular paper bag to be filledwill just fit snugly over the discharge end of the chute 8I.

The rest 53 is also adjustably fixed on the support base 5I at theproper height to support the bottom of the bag when the upper end of thebag receives the lower end of chute BI.

With particular reference to Fig. 8, it will be seen thatthe switch IOIof each unit is in the circuit of the solenoid 62. When the switch IOIis closed this solenoid is energized and when the switch is open thissolenoid is de-energized.

After the provisions and adjustments above described have been made, theapparatus I8 is in readiness to function.

Assuming all four units I2 are to be used in the operation of theapparatus I0, all of the ports 26 are uncovered by the port coveringplates 29 being slid in a clockwise direction on the wall I5 away fromcovered relation with the ports 26. The gates I I are also all closed bythe handles I I4 being swung upwardly in the position be fed througheach of the ports 26 into the hopper I05 disposed therebelow.

Each of these potatoes is momentarily sup-- ported on and rolls over theshelf I24 and then gravitates into the hopper I05. The floor I06 of thehopper I05 is preferably provided with a resilient cushion I30 toprevent bruising of the product as it falls into the hopper. Thisfeeding of potatoes into each hopper I 05 continues until the finalincrement, or last potato necessary to add to those already fed intothat hopper in order to make up the load which the scales 96 supportingit have been set to weigh. is delivered through the port 26 onto theshelf I24.

Immediately upon this potato arriving on the shelf I24 this hopper I 05descends a sufficient distance to actuate the switch IOI and energizethe solenoid B2 to shut the feed door II by Sliding this rapidly upwardin the guide channels 21.

The attendant for this particular unit then glances at the visual handwhich may be seen through a window provided in the housing I00 todetermine whether the weight of the load delivered to the hopper I05 isexcessive or whether it is Within the tolerance permitted. If it isexcessive, adjustment is made by her picking out a potato from thefeeder I I of less size than one of the potatoes in the hopper I05,exchanging the one picked out for the one previously in the hopper whileshe holds the hopper downwardly with her hand. When she releases thehopper after making this change she again observes the visual indicatorto note from the swinging of this whether or not the weight of this loadhas been brought within the allowed tolerance. If it has not, she makesanother similar exchange and keeps this up until the load comes withinthe tolerance. The attendants become expert so that seldom is more thanone such exchange necessary to adjust the load to the allowed tolerance.

This adjustment accomplished, nothing more remains to be done but tohold up the bag with one hand about the lower end of the chute 8| and,with the other, depress the handle II4 (as shown in Fig. '7) so as tobring the lever H3 against a stop I3I.

This opens wide the gate 1 I0 allowing the load of potatoes weighed inthe hopper I05 to gravitate rapidl from the hopper and over the chute 8Iinto the bag 13.

As before pointed out, cam H6 is rocked opposite the roller I8 at thistime and this retains the hopper I05 in its downward position in whichthe scales are caused to close the switch IOI to keep the solenoid 62energized, thereby holding the feed door II up in closed position. Thusno potatoes may be fed into the hopper I05 while a load is beingdischarged from this into a bag and the feeding of potatoes to thehopper is not resumed until the gate IIO of that hopper I05 is closed asshown in Fig. 6; in other words, until it is returned to the positionwhere it was when the first weighing operation started.

The upward swinging of the handle II4 brings the lever II3 against thestop I20 and shifts the cam II6 out of contact with the roller I8. Thispermits the empty hopper I05 to be elevated by the springs in the scales96 with the result that switch IOI opens de-energizing the solenoid 62and thus opening the port 26 to cause a resumption of feeding ofpotatoes into the hopper I05.

Thus the completion of each weighing and bagging cycle automaticallystarts another.

It is desired to point out that the curved upper portion of the steeplyinclined bottom 82 of the chute 8| performs the important function ofpreventing the bridging of a load of product as this floods through theopen gate of the hopper I05 when the latter is swung wide open.

It also tends to retard the speed of flow of the mass as it moves downthe chute and prevent this from scattering thereby resulting in anorderly and uniform delivery of the load into the bag.

It is also to be noted that the provision of the shelf I 24 close to thefeed port 26, and just below the upper edge of the feed door II in itslowermost position, causes the last potato delivered through the port26, which is necessary for making up a load of desired weight in thehopper I05, to depress the hopper by engagement with the shelf I24 withsufficient rapidity to cause the door II to shut before additionalpotatoes are fed into the hopper. This greatly increases the 7, accuracywith which loose products may be weighed and bagged.

The claims are:

1. In combination: a scales, having a weighing hopper and a manuallycontrolled bottom gate; means forming a port through which units ofproduct are fed into said hopper; a door for closing said port; meansresponsive to the lowering of said hopper, by the delivery thereto of agiven weight of product, to shift said door to port closing position andhold said door in said position so long as said hopper is lowered asaforesaid; and means actuated by the opening of said bottom gate to locksaid hopper in its lowered position aforesaid, said means releasing saidhopper upon the closing of said gate.

2. A combination as in claim 1 including linkage provided on said hopperfor controlling the opening and closing of said gate and the locking ofsaid hopper as aforesaid; and a handle on said linkage for normallyactuating said linkage to open said gate and lock said hopper by adownward thrust against said handle, and to close said gate and unlocksaid hopper by an upward thrust against said handle the actuation ofsaid linkage thereby holding said hopper down while the gate is beingopened and tending to lift said hopper to initiate a new Weighing cyclewhile the gate is being closed.

3. In combination, a receptacle, an inclined shelf adjustably mountedadjacent the upper portion of said receptacle, means for adjusting saidshelf to vary the angle of inclination thereof, means for feeding looseproduct over said shelf into said receptacle; and means responsive to agiven weight of said product in said receptacle and on said shelf forpreventing further feeding of said product.

4. In combination; a scales, having'a weighing hopper with an inclinedbottom; means including an inclined surfacefor feeding loose productinto said hopper adjacent the high side of said bottom; a shelf providedon said hopper at a high point therein and positioned tobe engaged by 8.units of said product as the latter are delivered successively into saidhopper, means for adjusting the angle of said shelf relative'to saidinclined feed surface; means responsive to a given weight of productbeing delivered to said hopper to shut off the delivery of said productto said hopper; and gate means adjacent the lower end of said hopperfloor for discharging a, load of said product thus delivered to saidhopper.

5. In combination; a scales, having a weighing hopper with an inclinedbottom; means including an inclined surface for feeding looseproductinto said hopper adjacent the high side of said bottom; a shelf providedon said hopper at a high point therein and positioned to be engaged byunits of said product as the latter are delivered successively into saidhopper; means for adjusting the vertical location of said shelf relativeto said inclined feed surface; means responsive to a given weight ofproduct being'delivered to said hopper to shut off the delivery of saidproduct to said hopper; and gate means adjacent the lower end of saidhopper floor for discharging aload of said product thus delivered tosaid hopper.

ROBERT S GRANT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 198,768 Martin July 31, 1877315,730 Clawson Apr. 14, 1885 568,584 Richards Sept. 29; 1896 694,222Wertenbruch Feb. 25, 1902 717,426 MacDonald Dec. 30, 1902 1,248,473Freeland Dec. 4, 1917 1,278,097 Blake ,Sept. 10, 1918 1,602,578 IngramOct. 12, 1926 2,228,595 Finch Jan. 14, 19.41 2,234,951 Belcher Mar. 18,1941

